The first behind-the-scenes photo from Star Wars: Episode VII hit Twitter last Thursday, featuring director J.J. Abrams, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, and a certain blue and white astromech droid — who StarWars.com can now confirm will indeed be in the film. But who are the two men standing behind Artoo, looking very protective of the “overweight glob of grease”?

As Episode VII continues pre-production, Lawrence Kasdan and director J.J. Abrams have assumed screenwriting duties for the film. Kasdan, who has been serving as a consultant on the film, is a veteran of several classic Lucasfilm productions, writing the screenplay for Raiders of the Lost Ark and serving as co-screenwriter for The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Acclaimed director and screenwriter Abrams' credits include Super 8, Mission: Impossible III, Fringe, and Lost.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Complete Season Five, the final season of the hit series, releases today on Blu-ray (2-disc, $59.97 MSRP) and DVD (3-disc, $49.98 MSRP). The collection delivers all 20 episodes, two as director's cuts never seen on TV, and supplements them with a host of behind the scenes bonus materials, cast and crew interviews, and deleted and alternate scenes, revealing the magic behind the making of the cutting-edge series.

The next great villain from a galaxy far, far away is here. Fans attending Lucasfilm's Star Wars Rebels panel today at New York Comic Con got the world's first look at the Inquisitor, a black-clad, intimidating figure who will play a prominent role in the upcoming animated series.

Star Wars cinematographer Gilbert Taylor passed away on Friday at his home in the Isle of Wight. He was 99. From the iconic opening shot of a massive Imperial Star Destroyer chasing the Rebels' Tantive IV to the setting of twin suns on Tatooine, Taylor played a large role in establishing the visual identity of the entire series.

John Williams, the legendary composer who crafted the iconic, sweeping music of all six films in the Star Wars saga, is returning to score Star Wars: Episode VII, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy announced today at Star Wars Celebration Europe. Williams, whose career spans over six decades, has won five Academy Awards and has scored some of the most popular and critically acclaimed films of all time, including Jaws, the Indiana Jones series, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, Lincoln, and countless others.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Complete Season Five, the final season of the hit series, will release on October 15, 2013, on Blu-ray (2-disc, $59.97 MSRP) and DVD (3-disc, $49.98 MSRP). The collection delivers all 20 episodes, two as director's cuts never seen on TV, and supplements them with a host of behind the scenes bonus materials, cast and crew interviews, and deleted and alternate scenes, revealing the magic behind the making of the cutting-edge series.

Lucasfilm Animation's Star Wars: The Clone Wars won two Emmys for its stirring fifth and final season at the 40th annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards. Last night, the show took home the award for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program, with Star Wars: The Clone Wars creator and executive producer George Lucas accepting.

Artists Doug Chiang and Iain McCaig, both instrumental in shaping the look of the Star Wars saga, reunited at the start of this year as part of the team Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy has assembled to create an exciting new future for Star Wars. They are adding to their busy schedules a visit to Star Wars Celebration Europe, the can't-miss Star Wars fan event in Messe Essen, Germany, July 26-28.

Combining stunning visuals, incisive gameplay, and smart level design, the Star Wars: Battlefront video games took fans into the Star Wars universe in previously unexplored ways. The series beautifully showcased Star Wars locales, featured intense ground-battle action, and allowed gamers to fight for the Empire, the Republic, the Rebellion, and other factions.

Lucasfilm Ltd. announced today the promotion of John Knoll to chief creative officer of Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) effective immediately. Knoll, who joined the company in 1986, has served as a visual effects supervisor since 1991. Knoll will serve alongside ILM president Lynwen Brennan.

Production has begun on Star Wars Rebels, an exciting, all-new animated television series based on one of the greatest entertainment franchises of all time. Scheduled to premiere in fall 2014 as a one-hour special telecast on Disney Channel, it will be followed by a series on Disney XD channels around the world.

Lucasfilm announced today that production of Star Wars: Episode VII will take place in the United Kingdom. All of the six previous live-action Star Wars movies have included UK production in such famed studios as Elstree, Shepperton, Leavesden, Ealing and Pinewood Studios.

Special effects legend Ray Harryhausen, a hugely influential figure for his work on films like The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953), Jason and the Argonauts(1963), and Clash of the Titans (1981), passed away on Tuesday. He was 92. Harryhausen's pioneering stop-motion animation techniques inspired generations of effects artists and filmmakers, and he leaves behind an unimpeachable legacy of innovation and iconic movie creatures.

Today it was announced that Lucasfilm Ltd. and Disney Interactive are entering into a multi-year, multi-title exclusive licensing agreement with Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) for the creation of new high quality Star Wars games aimed at the core gaming audience and spanning multiple genres for console, PC, mobile, and tablets.

Actor Richard LeParmentier, best remembered by Star Wars fans for his role as Admiral Motti, has passed away at age 66. Born in Pennsylvania, LeParmentier was living in the United Kingdom during the height of his acting career, where he made dozens of appearances in films and television.

As we enter into an exciting new era focused on the next Star Wars trilogy, Lucasfilm has decided to pursue a new direction in animated programming. We are exploring a whole new Star Wars series set in a time period previously untouched in Star Wars films or television programming. You can expect more details in the months to come.